Sabah Clinch Overall Title At 65th MSSM Athletics Championship

KANGAR, Aug 23 (Bernama) -- The Sabah contingent emerged as the overall champions of the 65th Malaysian Schools Sports Council (MSSM) Athletics Championship this year after collecting 19 gold, 22 silver and 17 bronze medals.

Sabah received the championship challenge trophy, the Milo-sponsored accompanying trophy, and RM1,500 worth of vouchers sponsored by Clamor, which were presented by the Deputy Secretary-General (Planning and Development) of the Education Ministry (MOE), Datuk Wan Hashim Wan Rahim, at the closing ceremony of the championship at the Tuanku Syed Putra Stadium here today.

The championship, which began on Aug 19 and ended today, was participated in by about 1,400 athletes from 16 state contingents, involving events in the under-12, under-15 and under-18 categories.

In his closing speech, Wan Hashim said the MSSM championship not only served as a platform to unearth young sporting talents but also reflected MOE’s commitment to nurturing and developing the potential of the younger generation through sports.

“Sports at the school level, particularly in the MSSM Championship, is not merely a competition. It forms the foundation for building balanced character, instilling noble values such as teamwork and a high fighting spirit.

“Every year this championship witnesses the emergence of many student-athletes who eventually become the nation’s hope,” he said.

Meanwhile, he said the 1 Student 1 Sport Policy, which emphasised the holistic participation of students, was in line with the ‘Sports for All’ concept, which encouraged students to be actively involved in sports as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Wan Hashim said ‘Sports for Excellence’, on the other hand, focused on enhancing the performance of student-athletes towards excellence and supporting their participation in the MSSM Championship.

-- BERNAMA